X m machine for twisting and spooling barbed-wire fencing



(No Model.)

1). G..STOVER.

MACHINE FOR TWIS'T-ING AND SPOOLING BARBED WIRE FENGING. No. 297,726.:

Patented-Apr. 29, .1884.

N. PETERS. Phqwumu nu. Wnhinglum n1;

DANIEL o. s'rovnn, on FREEPORT, ASSIGNOR TO I. L; ELLWOOD & 00., OF 1 DEKALB, ILLINOIS.

' MACHINE FOR TWISTING AND SPOOLlNG BARBED-WIRE FENCING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,726, dated April29, 1884. I

i Application filed March 2, 1853. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, DANIEL O. STovnR, of Freeport, Stephenson county,State of Illinois, have invented certain newand useful Improvemenis inMachines for Twisting and Spooling Barbed-Wire Fencing; and Ido herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description 'ofthe same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a top orplan view of my aforesaid improved twister and spooler. Fig. 2represents a side view of said twister and spooler,looking in thedirection of arrow I 5 1, Fig. 1. Fig, 3 represents a vertical sectionon line a, Fig.1, looking in the direction of arrow 2, same figure. Fig.4 represents, upon an enlarged scale, a vertical section on line b, Fig.1, looking in the direction of arrow 3 of said Fig. 1, showing a sideview of the distributing device, hereinafter more fully described; andFig. 5 represents, upon the same enlarged scale as Fig. 4, a side viewof a part of the machine, also hereinafter more fully described, lookingin the direction of ar row 4, Fig. 1.

My invention comprises certain improvements upon the twister and spoolerfor which Letters Patent No. 241,747 of "the United States were grantedto me, assignor to I. L. Ellwood 8t 00., May 17, 1881.

The nature of my invention consists in the combination of a spring withthe spool and its driving gear; also, in the combination, with thedevices for rotating the spool, of mechanism for readily adjusting thefriction required in coiling the wire upon the spool, as hereinaftermore fully described.

My said present improvements may be usefully applied 'to otherbarbed-wire twisting and spoolingmachines than that patented as above,and therefore I do not confinemyself to their use in said patentedmachine.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention belongs to makeand use the same, I will proceed to describe it'more in detail.

In the drawings, Arepresents a frame,which turns in suitable bearings, BB, at each end, formed upon or secured to the upper ends ofsupporting-frames G O. The end of frame A which fits in the bearing B ismade in the form of a hollow hub, c, for the twisted strand D to passthrough to the spool E, while the opposite end of said frame, whichturns inthe hearing B, is provided with a-sleeve, (shown by dotted lines(1,) upon which the drivingpulley-F is secured. Said pulley may beconnected with any suitable and convenient mechanism for turning frame Aand parts. connected thereto, to twist the wires 6 6 together to formthe strand D, as shown. The sleeve (1 fits over a horizontal shaft, f,upon one end of which is secured a bevel-gear, G, and upon its other enda pulley, H, which gear and pulley keep the shaft f in its properposition longitudinally, and also serve the purposes hereinafterdescribed. As fast as the strand Dis twisted by turning frame A andother parts, as before described, it is drawn forward and coiled uponthe spool E by turning s'aidspool, theend of the strand having beenpreviously secured to it. The spool E is turned as aforesaid inthefollowing manner: It is fittedloosely on an adjustable spindle, I,which may be drawn out to remove the spool, when filled, by drawing outpin 9. The spool,when fitted in place, is held so as to turn withspur-gear J by one or more strong flat springs similar. to spring h,which is secured to the side of said spur-gear,(see Figs. 1 and 3,) andheld in position against the hub E of the spool by means of a pin, t,also secured in the spurgear J. The spur-gear J engages or gears with aspur-pinion, M, on the short shaft L, 5 which is journaled in bearingsin the bracket N and the side of frame A, and to which, at its innerend, is fixed the bevel-gear K. The gear G engages with the gear K. ThegearG being prevented by a brake or friction-strap, O, on the pulley H,as hereinafter explained, from turning freely with the frame A, the gearK travels over the said gear G, and is thereby revolved on its axis, andthrough the shaft L, pinion M, and spur-gear J turns the spool E. 5

By the foregoingconstruction and arrange ment it will be seen that asthe twisting-frame is turned by means of the driving-pulley F tointertwist the wires 6 e, as before described, the twisted strand D isdrawn forward and coiled upon the spool E at the same operation.

It is obvious that asthe coil being formed upon the spool is increasedin size a greater tension upon the twisted strand is produced and agreateramount of power is necessary to turn said spool and coil. It istherefore necessary, in order to properly coil said strand, that thetension may be partially relaxed up on the same and governed independentof the twisting and coiling operation. To accomplish this result, Iarrange a frictionstrap, 0, over the pulley H, which may be claspedtightly around said pulley to hold the bevel-gear G rigidly, or loosenedso as to allow it to turn by depressing or raising the arm 7; of saidstrap or collar 0, its other arm, k, being held in po sition against astationary pin, ll, secured in bearing B of the machine. Arm itpossesses the yielding qualities of a spring. 'When the coil is firststarted upon the spool, only a slight pressure is required upon the armit to hold the bcvelgear G, and at the same time allow it to turn incase of a too strong tension being produced; but as the coil isincreased in size the pressure is increased accordingly, greater powerbeing required to hold said bevetgear G, owing to the increased leveragebetween the shaft or spindle of the spool and the outside ofthe coil.The spring or springs h great 1y facilitate the operation of quicklystarting the rotation of the spool after each barhing operation of themachine for applying barbs to the wire when, as is usually the case, thewire is fed intermittently through said barbing-machine. The spool E isprevented. from turning back farther than the spring 71. can be safelysprung back when under strong tension by striking the stop-pin h.

The operation in detail is as follows: When the feed of the strand orwire D ceases, the ten sion thereof prevents the spool from turnin Thepower which tended to turn the gear J continues to act, and, beingsufficient to overcome the resistance of the spring 71, itturns the gearJ independently ofthe spool and bends the spring h until the latterstrikes the pin h. The motion of the gear J is also arrested until thetension of the strand D is relieved by the recommeneement of the feed.The spring h now returns to its former position and in returning startsthe spool quickly ahead, so that it winds up the strand in advance ofthe movement of gear J.

For convenience in operating the arm k to govern the tension upon thestrand D, (the machine being about eight feet in length and theattendant usually at the opposite end from said arm next to thebarbingmachine, not shown) said arm is connected by means of cord inpassed over guide-pulleys a a) with the huh I of a ratchet-wheel, P,which is held from turning back by a pawl or dog, I pivoted to a rigidbearing, I" ,secured to hearing B. The strand D is properly guided as itis drawn forward by passing under a sprocketwheel, Q, (which is fittedto turn on a stud, 0, arranged in bearings p 1),) and over thedistributor It in the form of a sprocket-wheel, which not only turns,but has a lateral traverse or endwise movement, so as to distribute thestrand evenly upon the spool E as it is coiled upon the same. The fingerS, journa'led in a bearing on the side of the distributor R, travels inthe groove (11 or 13, as the case may be) of the double-threaded shaftT. As the distributer revolves it is carried by the action of the grooveupon the finger S to one end of the grooved portion of the shaft. Thecam 1 at that end then turns the finger S on its journal, so that thesaid finger, on the further rotation of the distrihating-wheel ordistributor R, enters the reverse groove 13 or 11. By the action of thisgroove the distributor is carried to the opposite end of the groovedportion of the shaft, where its lateral motion is again reversed by thecam at that end.

Having now fully described my said invention and the manner of carry-ingthe same into effect, what I claim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. The combination of a holding-spring, h, with the spool E, drivingspur-gear J, and revolving frame A, in which said spool and gear aresupported, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the pulley H, shaft f, frame A,supporting-frame C, spool E, and gearing between the spool E and shaftf,of friction strap 0, provided with arms 7c it, holding part Z, cord m,pulleys n, ratchet-wheel P, provided with huh I and pawl I substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the frame Aand spool E with one or more springs,h, spur-gear J, pinion M, shaft L, bevel-gear K, bevel-gear G, shaft f,and the means for holding said shaft, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

DANIEL C. STOVER.

Vitnesses:

J on): O. DEWEY, ALBERT A. BARKER.

